Reluctant Heroes
by Oathkeeper52489
Summary: 'One legend says the Tailed Beasts brought salvation and hope to the world. Another says the Tailed Beasts brought nothing but chaos and ruin.' The Rookie 9 find themselves to be Jinchuuriki after something strange occurs within their village. They also have a vision of one of them destroying the world. Can they save the world? Or will one of them destroy it?
1. Chapter 1

So the Konoha Rookie 9 are going to become Jinchuuriki in case you didn't get that from the summary. Let me get a three things before I start the story:

1) Naruto is not the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki yet as this will happen later. Gaara isn't a Jinchuuriki in this story either.

2) Sasuke is still Konoha despite all the characters being 15 and 16 and Sai won't come till later.

3) All characters have their Shippuden clothes and appearance.

With that out of the way, let's begin.

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It's a clear day in Konoha. The sky was clear of any clouds and the sounds of birds could be heard as the fluttered by.

The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, looks out of her window as she holds something in her hand.

A lottery ticket...a winning one. She never wins anything with her luck.

Tsunade sighs and says,"I can't help but feel that something terrible is about to transpire. Shizune!"

A black haired woman steps out of the shadows holding a pig in her arms as she says,"Yes milady?"

"Set the Anbu on high alert."

Shizune raises an eyebrow and says,"But why? Did you receive intel on a coming attack?"

Tsunade holds up the winning lottery ticket and says,"This is all the intel I need."

Down in the village Squad 7 is walking down the street away from the Hokage mansion.

Naruto sighs and says,"I'm glad that last mission is over with! Time for some ramen!"

"Is that all you care about, dobe?"

Naruto turns to the onyx eyed guy beside him and says,"Just shut your mouth you idiot!"

The other member with them sighs and says,"Both of you need to calm down for crying out loud."

Sasuke rolls his eyes and says,"Whatever."

Sakura says,"We might as well get something to eat. Tsunade said that she would probably send us on another mission soon. The tension between the other villages has been terrible lately."

Naruto puts a fist in the air and says,"We won't have anything to worry about! When I'm Hokage I'll fix the tension and bring around peace!"

"Are you sure about that, dobe?"

"Shut your mouth Sasuke! You'll see!"

Sasuke looks up at the sky and notices some clouds rolling in. 'At this hour? At this rate? Something's up...'

Sakura notices this as well but can't decide on what might be causing it. Whatever it is, it can't be good.

On the other side of the village was Squad 10 just exiting a barbecue restaurant.

"I see you kids later, alright?" A man says while pulling out a cigarette.

"Of course Asuma-sensei!" Ino says while waving farewell.

Shikamaru sighs and says,"What should we do now?"

The third member of the squad, Choji Akamichi, says,"We could always go get some dessert."

Ino sighs and says,"All you think about is food. Honestly, we should go train or do something productive."

Shikamaru was taking intake of the sky and the strange weather patterns occurring. Gray clouds were beginning to blanket the sky with red lightning flashing at times. With his IQ over 200, he deduces that this can only be the result of something disturbing the natural chakra of the world.

Ino notices this silence and says,"Is something wrong Shikamaru?"

The lazy Nara says,"The sky is all messed up."

"What do you think it could mean?" Choji says.

Shikamaru shrugs and crosses his arms as he says,"I'm not sure of much, but I can tell you this: Something's coming, something bad."

Not far from Squad 10 is Squad 8 as they begin to walk in the direction of the Hokage mansion.

A boy with messy brown hair stretches his arms and says,"I can't wait to go get a mission! We haven't been out of the village in ages!"

"Kiba, we might not be sent out of the village. Why you ask? Because some missions occur here as well." A boy with glasses states with little emotion.

Kiba crosses his arms as he says,"Why do you have to be such a killjoy?"

His ninja hound, Akamaru, lets out a bark as Hinata shyly says,"Let's just hope Tsunade has a mission for us at this point."

Shino stops walking and Kiba turns to look back at his friend. Hinata notices this as well and stops.

Kiba says,"What's the matter with you, Shino?"

The big loving teen points at the sky and says,"Look at that."

The sky has become a completely dark gray with red lightning becoming more frequent as it rushes through the sky, not touching down on the ground.

Hinata says,"What does it mean?"

All of the sudden, the earth begins to shake beneath their feet. Cracks appear as some of the earth shifts rapidly.

Hinata let's out a cry as she loses her balance and stumbles backward.

Kiba grabs her arm and pulls her, along with Shino, down the street. Akamaru leads the way as they run.

Kiba says,"Akamaru and I both smell something funny. It's some kind of strange mass of chakra that just appeared in the village!"

The earth continues to rumble but begins to slow down as the wind picks up.

Hinata gasps and says,"What is that!?"

A large, ghastly building is floating in the sky with a large staircase leading to the entrance. The building is in the shape of a large tower with veins of red that glow randomly along the building. One thing that stands out the most is a large lightning rod on top of the building which the red lightning strikes from above.

Citizens scream and people rush by Squad 8 as they move toward the source of the mass panic.

Shino says,"Should we be going this way? We need to get people to safety."

Kiba shakes his head and says,"Someone has to help. We can't let someone do this to our home."

Hinata nods and says,"I-I agree with Kiba."

Shino sighs and says,"Alright then. We are a team so we must stick together."

"Then let's move out!" Kiba says while rushing forward.

Anbu stand at the bottom of the staircase, prepared to fight anything that comes out of the mysterious tower.

One Anbu with the mask of a wolf says,"No one is allowed entrance! Stay back!"

Kiba growls and says,"We don't have time for this! Tell the Hokage that Squad 8 is headed in to investigate!"

Akamaru leaps over the Anbu with Kiba quickly following. Hinata and Shino sidestep the Anbu and rush up the stairs with the Inuzuka.

Hinata looks over her shoulder and says,"Please forgive us!"

Meanwhile, Shikamaru's team hears the screams of people first and then the concentrated lightning.

Ino says,"What in Kami is that!?"

Shikamaru says,"Whatever it is, it can't be good at all. The amount of chakra hitting that rod cannot be good. It must be storing power with every strike!"

Choji remains silent as he begins to walk towards the tower.

"What are you doing Choji!?" Ino says while grabbing her friends shoulders.

"We have to go see what's going on, right?"

"Yeah but-"

"But nothing Ino. We can at least go see what's going on so we can help." Shikamaru says while stepping towards Choji.

Ino says,"I can't let you two go alone, you're hopeless without me."

Shikamaru leads the way while the wind whips at their clothes. The Nara genius cannot wrap his brain around this situation yet. Some kind of tower showing up in the village while causing all this mayhem...what a drag.

They make their way to the Anbu at the bottom of the stairs as Ino says,"What's going on?"

The Anbu wearing a bear mask says,"This randomly appeared disrupting the natural chakra in the earth."

Shikamaru says,"Has any action been taken to further understand the situation?"

"Nothing authorized by the Hokage. Although, Squad 8 forced their way past and took off into the building."

Shikamaru sighs and says,"We need to go find them before something else happens today. Not to mention perhaps finding the source of this thing."

The Anbu shakes his head and says,"But you don't have clearance to-"

Choji says,"We'll make our own clearance!"

Shikamaru yells,"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

The Anbu are frozen in place as Ino and Choji rush on up the stairs quickly followed by Shikamaru after releasing the jutsu.

Naruto and Sakura rush to catch up with Sasuke as he swiftly runs down the street.

Sakura says,"Slow down Sasuke!"

He looks over his shoulder and says,"We need to get to the center of that chakra! With my Sharingan I catch see the irregular chakra patterns!"

Naruto speeds up as he says,"I agree with Sasuke! Let's go help take down this thing!"

Sakura mumbles,"We don't even know what 'this thing' is..."

They turn the corner and are almost blasted backwards from a gust of air. Sasuke grabs Sakura's hand as she loses her balance.

Sakura slightly blushes as Sasuke says,"You okay?"

"I'm fine, let's continue."

Naruto is the first to reach the Anbu as Sakura and Sasuke race to catch up.

Naruto says,"Let us through!"

Sasuke sighs and says,"Let's get a read on the situation first dobe."

"Why I-"

Sakura says to the Anbu in a wolf mask,"What's going on? How did this appear?"

The Anbu sighs and says,"It just appeared in the growing storm and there's that weird red lightning."

Sasuke nods and says,"Has anyone responded to this? Gone inside?"

"Yes. Squad 8 and Squad 10 have gone inside without authorization."

Naruto says,"Well so are we! Tell Granny that we'll be fine!"

The blonde rushes up the stairs as Sakura says,"Naruto! You can't just run off!"

Sasuke says,"We might as well go too. That dobe will get into trouble without us."

Sakura nods and heads up the stairs with Sasuke in pursuit of Naruto.

The Anbu in the wolf mask looks over to the one in the bear mask and says,"Go inform Lady Tsunade that Squads 7,8, and 10, have gone inside to investigate the tower."

"Understood." Then the Anbu heads off with this information toward the Hokage mansion.

The sky continues to flash with red as the window howls with rage. This storm is just the beginning of what is yet to come.

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Hope you guys enjoy that first chapter.

Leave a review with a prediction as to which character gets which Tailed-Beast.

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Chapter 2 Preview:

"What are these things!?"

"These inscriptions can't be random. Think about what could be hiding in here."

"You knucklehead! You're going to make things worth!"

"You guys are here too!?"

"'One legend says the beasts brought salvation and hope to the world. Another says the beasts brought nothing but chaos and ruin.'"


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as Kiba sets foot in the tower, he let's out a whistle of awe. This tower was huge! There was a doorway straight in front of him with two staircases leading in opposite directions to the slides.

Hinata says,"So where do we go now?"

Akamaru let's out a bark and points in the direction of the stairway on the right.

Kiba says,"Akamaru smells the chakra the strongest over there. It's pretty sinister, whatever it is."

Shino says,"Are you sure about this? We can always go find another squad and then explore this place."

"Nah, we'll be fine! We can handle ourselves. Let's go!"

The Inuzuka leads the way up the staircase with Hinata next and Shino picking up the rear. Every so often the walls light up with red lights that match the lightning that was occurring outside.

Akamaru let's out another part before heading down a side hallway to the right. The squad easily adjusts and follows.

Then the notice a pair of torches on the wall. There were inscriptions written on the rock.

Hinata reads out loud,"'The most fearsome beast, the Ten-Tails, could not be trusted to run free so it was split into nine parts. This was determined as the beginning of what would be the end. The beginning of a bright fire of pain.'"

"That doesn't sound good." Shino says with a frown.

Kiba sniffs the air and says,"That's not all, we've got company!"

The sound of claws on rock could be heard coming down each of the only exits out of this dead-end.

Hinata says,"What are these things?!"

Shino says,"We need to find a way out and fast."

They could see three pairs of glowing red eyes and Akamaru could smell sinister chakra coming off these creatures. This would be good.

Kiba steps forward and says,"I'll take on these things while you all try and see if there is a secret passage."

Hinata activates her Byakugan and scans the wall with writing on it. A large gathering of chakra lies beyond this wall so what could be there?

The creatures coming towards them turn out to be blood red foxes with odd white masks on their faces. Their eyes glowing bright red.

Kiba gets in a low stance as he shouts,"Come and get it!"

Akamaru barks as he leaps in the air with his master shouting,"Fang Over Fang!"

One of the foxes is blasted back down the hall while the other two still advance.

Shino grabs one of the torches and puts it against the writing on the wall. The words blaze to life and change so the words are now red with a new meaning.

Hinata reads quickly,"'The path of these beasts would be a hard one with no one to truly understand them. These were the truths spoken by the Sage of Six Paths.'"

The wall opens up and reveals a large incline like a slide leading into darkness.

Kiba is busy fighting and continues to push the beasts back. No one lays a hand on his teammates.

Shino says,"We'll have to take this path despite not knowing where we will end up. Why you ask-"

"Just go!" Kiba shouts while kicking a fox in the face.

Shino goes in first, releasing some bugs to determine if any threat lies beyond, then Hinata.

Akamaru barks as Kiba says,"I've got this! Try following us you little beasts!"

The Inuzuka throws down a smoke bomb with random scents created by himself to throw the animals off their scent. He and Akamaru quickly go into the secret passage. After he gets through the opening, the wall slides shut behind him. No turning back now.

Shikamaru's team just made it inside as Kiba's team faced off against the small chakra beasts.

Ino shivers and says,"I don't like this at all."

Choji looks at the different openings as a howl pierces the air.

He jumps as Ino says,"Is there any possibility that that was Akamaru?"

Shikamaru says,"It's possible but what if it wasn't? We need to stay focused."

Choji says,"So which way? The howl came from the staircase from the right."

Shikamaru thinks over the three options. Definitely not right with the chance if an enemy. Going straight seemed too easy like a trap in plain sight.

The Nara sighs and says,"With little knowledge of this place, I say go left. You guys okay with that?"

Ino says,"Whatever's better than just standing here waiting for something to show up."

With that agreement they walk up the stairs and to the left. They each have their hands poised over their weapon pouches in case of any threat that decides to show up.

The hallway echoes with each step and dusts lines the walls as if no one had been here in thousands of years.

Shikamaru was beginning to wonder if this used to be a temple of some sort. Possible or maybe a old base of some clan that died out.

Fire comes to life with vases under the torches. In between the torches is some kind of inscription on the wall.

Choji looks in the vases and says,"It looks like water. Weird..."

Shikamaru traces the words with his hands and blows the dust away.

Ino blinks the dust out of her eyes and begins to read the writing,"'With the splitting of the Great Beast came the Great Nine Beasts. Each tail represented the chakra strength of each beast. The tails went from one to nine in number. The Nine lived calmly with the Sage of Six Paths for a long while. This was the period as calm as water itself.'"

Choji says,"Any thoughts on that?"

Shikamaru puts a hand to his chin as he says,"I remember reading something about the Nine Beasts but I can't remember what."

Ino says,"What are the Nine Beasts?"

"They're the Nine Tailed Beasts and supposedly held great power before disappearing or something. I didn't think it was actually real."

All of the sudden they hear the clicks of claws on the rock hallway. Shikamaru glances around only to hear the sound coming from all directions.

Choji says,"I don't want to find out what that noise is."

Ino says,"There has to be a way out. I'm not going to die like this, especially not in a place like this."

Shikamaru glances at the writing and then at the vases. He says,"Throw the water."

"Are you insane? I never expected you to-"

"I mean at the words on the wall based on that last line. These inscriptions can't be random. What other choice do we have?"

Choji is the first to move and swiftly throws the water at the wall. Ino grabs the other and dampens what was dry.

The flames go out as the writing glows blue before changing.

Shikamaru reads,"'A path that would remain lonely with the world's hatred thrust upon the beasts. It would become a curse, an inescapable one as it so seemed. This would only turn the beasts on each other and on the humans in the world. These were the truths spoken by the Sage of Six Paths.'"

The wall opens up as the first creature goes to strike Shikamaru. Choji throws a kunai at it as it runs down the hall.

It looked like some kind of red fox with a white mask.

Ino says,"Here goes nothing!"

She slides down into the unknown as Shikamaru uses his Shadow Possession Jutsu to stop the fox-like creatures.

"You next Choji!"

The Akamichi nods and says,"You better be right behind me Shikamaru!"

The Nara releases his jutsu after waiting a good ten seconds. As soon as he throws himself into the tunnel, the wall closes up behind him. This was getting to be troublesome.

The last to reach the entrance of the tower is Squad 7.

Naruto says,"This is so cool!"

His voice echoes around the room as Sakura punches his shoulder while saying,"Knock it off doofus."

Sasuke says,"We need to make haste to find the others. We shouldn't remain in a place with such sinister chakra."

Sakura says,"Why don't we go-"

"This way!" Naruto shouts while charging down the hallway straight in front of him.

Sasuke sighs as Sakura shouts,"You knucklehead! You're only going to make things worse!"

The duo chase after the blonde as he turns down random hallways. They catch up to him at a random wall lit by torches.

Sasuke says,"What kind of place is this?"

Naruto shrugs and says,"Maybe there's some kind of treasure."

Sakura wipes away the dust and cobwebs on the wall to reveal words.

Sasuke says,"What is that?"

Sakura shrugs as she reads,"'One legend says the beasts brought salvation and hope to the world. Another says the beasts brought nothing but chaos and ruin. The Nine Tailed Beasts live a life as full of blood as human beings.'"

The last line bothered Sasuke very much. There was something about it that made no sense.

Naruto says,"Someone care to explain? I'm kind of lost."

Then comes a tapping. Sakura grabs the blonde by the shoulders and says,"What did you do!?"

"Me! You read the words!"

"You ran down this hallway and-"

Sasuke pulls out his katana and says,"There has to be some kind of exit. What about that last line?"

Sakura says,"You mean the blood?"

Naruto smiles and says,"If it's blood you want then-"

He cuts his finger with a kunai and says,"So what now?"

Sakura says,"What do you think idiot?!"

"Um?"

"Put it on the wall!"

Naruto does what is asked and swipes his thumb across the wall leaving a bloody trail.

Sakura quickly heals the wound as the torches go out. The words glow orange and change before their eyes.

Sasuke sees red eyes staring him down from the end of the hallway and says,"Hurry up and read what it says."

Sakura reads,"'The Nine Beasts would be sealed away inside of nine worthy humans. In hope they would see the light of hope that remained in humanity. That these nine would lift the burden of hate and shine bright in ushering a new age of peace. These are the truths spoken by the Sage of Six Paths.'"

The wall opens up and Sakura stares in disbelief.

Naruto smiles and says,"Here goes nothing!"

He pushes Sakura in and grabs Sasuke's arm.

Sasuke is forced in after Sakura with Naruto quickly bringing up the rear. The wall closes and they are left in the winding path that leads them spiraling down.

Finally they reach the bottom and stumble out into a large room.

"You guys are here too!?"

Squads 8 and 10 stand in the middle of the room staring back at Squad 7. They managed to find each other, but could they find a way out?

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I hope you all enjoyed. All of the little passages on the walls were made up by me and I hope it clears up the Tailed Beasts until next chapter.

Please leave a review so I know what to work on or what I have done good. Even it is a simple "Good job." It inspires me to write!

Fav, Follow, and Review!

Chapter 3 Preview:

"So you all read some weird stuff as well."

"We managed to get in but how do we get out?"

"Was not expecting that."

"Isn't that-It can't be!"

"You are the ones."


	3. Chapter 3

The opening where Squad 7 entered the room instantly closes up as soon as they take one step into the large room.

Kiba says,"Nice to see you could make it."

Ino smacks him on the shoulder and says,"You're part of the reason were in this mess!"

"I didn't ask for you to follow me!"

"Who says I wanted-"

"Enough of that."

Everyone turns to look at Shikamaru Nara who stands with his arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face.

The Nara takes the silence as everyone willing to listen so he says,"To retrace our steps, my squad came in this temple due to Squad 8 entering unannounced."

Hinata says,"W-Well we came to investigate what was causing the chaos in the village.

"We came in after the both of you." Sasuke says slowly after putting a hand absentmindedly on his katana.

It goes silent again with only the walls lighting up occasionally and the torches set along the walls crackling. Each member of each squad is in deep thought.

"So where's the exit?" Naruto says with a small smile.

Kiba says,"We don't know obviously."

Shikamaru speaks up again,"How did you end up in here Kiba?"

The Inuzuka looks at the Nara as he says,"We went up the right staircase once entering this weird place. Then Hinata read this inscription on the wall and after that these chakra creatures came after us. Shino lit the wall on fire revealing some kind of exit leading us here."

Choji points out,"That sounds a lot like how we ended up in here. Except we dumped water on the wall to get out."

"And we had to wipe blood on the wall." Sakura says with a finger to her chin.

Shikamaru says,"So you all read some weird stuff as well."

"Yeah it was something about the Nine-Tailed Beasts." The pinkeye speaks up again.

This was only proving Shikamaru's original hypothesis. This temple is some kind of old worship or resting place to these beasts.

Kiba says,"This temple must be in honor of those beasts and their original creation. We can assume this is like a resting place or something..."

He goes quiet as he realizes how quiet it has become.

"Oi! Why you guys so quiet?"

Ino blinks before saying,"I didn't know you had a brain. Not even that but half decent as Shikamaru."

Kiba blushes and says,"The Inuzuka don't focus on smarts so I keep it quiet."

"It's not a bad thing idiot."

"I thought I was smart now!"

Sasuke clears his throat and says,"Anyway, we can also assume that we don't want to remain in here with those beasts on the prowl. We managed to get in, but how do we get out?"

No one had an answer for that question. It goes silent once again as everyone tries to think of some solution.

Shikamaru snaps his fingers as he says,"The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Beasts triggered this whole sequence and even resulted in a pattern."

Naruto runs a hand through his hair and says,"Come again?"

"I mean that what we read triggered the small chakra beasts and then the exit. We can deduce something in here will trigger another event."

"Okay?"

Sakura sighs and says,"Shikamaru means that if we read something we might be able to leave."

"That makes sense! Now what do we read?" Naruto says with a shrug.

Shino speaks up for the first time saying,"Maybe we should scatter."

Choji nods and says,"That's not a bad idea. We could look around the room for anything."

So the squads separate and begin looking at the walls and corners of the room. The only problem is they come up empty once again.

Naruto lets out a frustrated sigh and says,"This is hopeless!"

Shikamaru says,"Maybe not. Come look at this guys."

In the middle of the room is a circle outlined with plaques. Four torches lie along the outer edge of the circle in a square shape around the outside.

Sakura says,"What are these things?"

The Nara says,"Everyone spread out and stand in front of one plaque."

Everyone moves in a random order to complete the Nara's request. They stand in silence trying to understand what this all meant. The middle of the circle has a smaller ring made up of six comma marks with triangles in between each one.

Shikamaru reads off his plaque,"Ichibi."

The words on the plaque come to life in a bright tan color.

Choji gasps and says,"Was not expecting that."

Shikamaru looks to his right and says,"Hinata, read yours next."

She nods and says,"Nibi."

The words blaze a bright blue in color.

Sakura reads off,"Sanbi."

The words come to life in a coral pink.

Choji says,"Yonbi."

The words light up in a dark red color.

Kiba grins as he says,"Gobi."

A bright white color overcomes the writing.

Ino looks at the plaque with a shrug and reads,"Rokubi."

The words take on a light green color.

Shino barely says above a whisper,"Nanabi."

A dark green color washes over the words.

Sasuke puts a hand on his hip as he says,"Hachibi."

The words come to life in a dark purple.

Naruto gives a shout and smile as he calls out,"Kyuubi!"

The words blaze orange in color.

The colors rush off the words and make a trail before all meeting in the middle. The colors combine to form a blinding white light.

Once it fades, Sakura gasps and says,"Isn't that-It can't be!"

A man stands in the middle of the circle and he slowly turns to take in each person. Akamaru let's out a small whimper and Kiba pets him gently on the head.

This man was the one and only rumored Sage of Six Paths.

The man in white says in a voice as old as time itself,"You are the ones."

Kiba says,"What's that supposed to mean?"

"To usher in peace or usher peace out is up to you. Be warned for there are trials and tribulations ahead of you all. Time for the awakening."

The Sage of Six Paths raises his right hand and all the shinobi are bound in place, unable to move.

He slowly walks to Shikamaru and places his hand on the Nara's stomach. His hand glows blue before Shikamaru groans and falls to the ground unconscious.

His friends and teammates are frozen to watch as one by one the same happens to them. That is, until the Sage of Six Paths reaches Kiba.

Akamaru got in a low stance with his fur bristled. He let out a low growl as soon as the man started walking over to Kiba.

The Sage reaches out for Kiba when Akamaru leaps and bites the man's hand. A small trail of blood flows for a minute before slowing down and stopping.

The man looks at the dog curiously and says,"You won't sit by idly, hm? You'll need that courage to help get by as well small one."

Akamaru growls again but the man quickly lights one finger with chakra and taps the dog's head. The white dog falls to the floor passed out by his master.

The last to fall is Naruto and he thinks that he sees the Sage of Six Paths give a small smile as he says,"Good luck."

Then it all goes black.

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If you noticed I used the other names for the Tailed Beasts as their real names will come later as they are important in the friendship aspect.

Also, the circle the Rookie None were standing in was supposed to be a reference to when the Sage of Six Paths was telling the Beasts they would be sealed in humans but brought back together someday.

Thanks for the favs and follows!

Hope you have enjoyed!

Fav, Follow, and Review please!

Chapter 4 Preview:

"What just happened? Where are we?"

"What do we do now?"

"Sorry to break it to you guys, but we are what you would call Jinchuuriki."

"This was planned all of it from the temple till now...right?"

"We can't just walk in and say 'We have crazy, uncontrollable beasts in us that might want to destroy the whole world,' people might take it the wrong way."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Meet the Jinchuuriki

The Konoha Rookie Nine slowly wake up with the sun overhead. A gust of wind blows through the air jolting everyone awake.

Naruto rubs his head and says,"What just happened? Where are we?"

Kiba sits up and begins sniffing the air as he says,"Give me a minute and I'll figure out our location."

Shikamaru bolts upright hearing a distinct voice calling to him in the back of his mind. A demonic voice warning him not to sleep or it would take over. He clutches his head and rests his elbows on his knees.

Sasuke stands up and takes a look around the woods. One hand rests on his katana as usual. Something seemed off in the air but he couldn't put a finger on it.

Hinata brings her knees to her chest as she takes a deep breath. No one knew what was going or how they got here. Strange...

Kiba finally speaks up,"We are about twenty miles outside of the Land of Wind border. About a day from Suna and two from Konoha."

Ino says,"What do we do?"

"We should be asking what in the world happened to us." Sakura says with a frown.

Choji puts a finger to his chin as he says,"It seems that guy, the Sage of Six Paths, did something that caused us to black out and brought us here."

"But what did he do?" Sakura says, her frown deepening.

This was the question no one quite knew how to answer. They all knew the question and understood it but skittered around trying to answer it.

Shikamaru speaks us,"Check our chakra with your Sharingan, Sasuke."

Ino says,"What good will that do?"

"Just do it!"

No one had heard Shikamaru snap like that before. He was always calm and collected about every situation no terrible so he could think.

Sasuke activates his Sharingan and does a slight double take. Everyone's chakra is so large now with reserves too big for an average shinobi.

The Uchiha speaks up,"Our chakra has changed greatly. Our reserves have gained an innumerable amount of chakra."

He points to Shikamaru as he says,"Yours is all over the place right now like it's fighting back unlike ours that are somewhat calm."

Akamaru let's out a whine as he can smell the difference in the chakra between each person now and how they were. Even the dog had gained a small amount of new chakra but it was nothing compared to the Rookie Nine.

Shikamaru whispers,"Jinchuuriki..."

Choji says,"Come again?"

"Sorry to break it to you guys, but we are what you would call Jinchuuriki."

Naruto puts up his hands as he says,"Whoa, wait a sec. You mean those nine beasts we read about in that freaky temple were real!?"

"Yes and they are inside us." Shikamaru says with a frown as he clutches his head again.

That was one way to change the mood. It gets icy cold as everyone has a different reaction to this change. These beasts were feared everywhere...so what did that make them?

Ino jumps to her feet and says,"So what about what that old man said? 'You are the ones.'"

Sasuke says,"This was planned all the way from the temple till now...right?"

It was a lot to take in, too much in fact. Though it had to be accounted for at some point. Everyone stands in a circle while in deep thought.

Hinata says,"W-What are we going to do now?"

Shino says,"Perhaps we should head to Suna since it is the closest and allow a bird to be sent back to the Leaf."

"We can't just walk in and say,'We have crazy, uncontrollable beasts in us that might want to destroy the whole world,' people might take it the wrong way." Kiba says while crossing his arms.

"We lay low and try and obtain some information on these creatures inside us." Shino says with a shrug.

Sasuke says,"What about the power coursing through us right now? If we enter a battle, then who knows what could happen?"

Shikamaru says,"We be careful and don't use our chakra. We have to move cautiously."

Hinata was having a hard time processing all of this. She knew it must be hard on the others too but she missed Konoha. Hinata couldn't help but let her mind wander to her cousin, Neji, and her little sister, Hanabi. What were they doing? Were they okay without her?

"You okay there Hinata?"

The pale eyed girl blinks and is face to face with Naruto.

She blushes and barely says,"I-I'm fine, N-Naruto."

The blonde shrugs and face the rest of the group as he says,"So we all set on heading to Suna?"

Ino says,"What other choice do we have at this point? Might as well stick together for now."

That's when Shikamaru let's out a grunt and falls to the ground.

"Shikamaru!" Choji and Ino call out.

The Nara puts a hand to his head as he says,"This guy...won't let up. Something...about sand...got his attention..when you talked about Suna."

Choji helps Shikamaru onto his back as he says,"We need to hurry to Suna and find some information."

Sasuke says,"Kiba's team should take point of this formation while we follow since they are trackers after all."

Kiba nods and says,"Alright then. You guys ready?"

Naruto pumps a fist in the air as he says,"Let's hurry!"

Squad 8 leads the way toward the desert with Squads 7 and 10 following close behind.

...

(Somewhere at sometime after the squads head out.)

"It appears everything is falling into place as of now."

"Yeah but what are we going to do about it, hmm?"

"We must retrieve the Tailed-Beasts to achieve our goals. Be on your guard."

"So which of us do you want to move out first to test the pests?"

"Hopefully they have some kind of money reward for all this trouble the Sage of Six Paths has put us through."

"Deidera, Sasori, you head for Suna immediately from your positions outside of this meeting."

"This'll be fun, hmm."

"Quit your blabbering, I don't like making people wait."

"This meeting is adjourned. Meet again when we seal the first Tailed Beast."

XXXXXXX

Who could that be targeting the Rookie Nine? I wonder if anyone will be the first to review and reveal who it is.

This chapter would have come earlier today but I went and saw the Boruto:Naruto the Movie...it was AWESOME!

Any thoughts on ships? I plan on ShikaTema, NaruHina, SasuSaku, but the others are still being worked out.

Anyway, please be the first to review and fav and follow as well! It inspires me to write!

Chapter 5 Preview:

"Shikamaru isn't looking too well guys!"

"Gaara! It's been ages since we met at the Chunin Exams!"

"Help yourself to the Kazekage library."

"This should help carry sand around in a more convenient way for a lazy guy like yourself."

"Troublesome woman."

"This place is quite artful, a pity we have to blow it to bits."

Chapter 5: The One-Tails Jinchuuriki: Shikamaru Nara!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The One-Tails Jinchuuriki: Shikamaru Nara!

Choji wraps one arm around Shikamaru's waist and puts the Nara's other arm over his neck. Ino moves beside him in case anything should happen and Choji needing extra guarding.

Kiba let's his nose guide him as he leads the way to Suna. No matter which shortcut he tries to take they will still need a night of rest before making it to the village.

The three squads head off in silence toward the Hidden Sand Village with lots on each of their minds. Finding out they were Jinchuuriki of some hate filled beasts was scary to say the least.

Sasuke breaks the silence first by saying,"How's it looking Kiba?"

The Inuzuka looks over his shoulder as he jumps to another branch and says,"All clear, not a shinobi to be seen!"

"Good."

Shikamaru lets out a grunt as Choji says,"Shikamaru isn't looking too well guys!"

"Then let's speed it up guys!" Naruto shouts while rushing forward breaking the barriers of the formation.

Sakura shakes her head as she and Sasuke chase the blonde down in order to retain the order of Squad Eight, Squad Ten, then Squad Seven bringing up the rear.

The rest of the evening passes without further incident. Once night comes the teams all stop for a break. Hinata, Ino, and Sakura work on cooking a meal while the guys start a fire and sit around talking. Shino is on the first watch of the night.

Naruto says,"I can't wait to see Gaara! It feels like it's been so long."

Sasuke rolls his eyes and says,"That's because it has been dobe."

"Hey!"

"Naruto sure did smack some sense into Gaara when he went all crazy with his sand powers. That was the same day Orochimaru and the Hidden Sand invaded with both Kages dying. At least things are different now between the villages." Kiba says with a thoughtful look on his face.

Choji nods in agreement and keeps to himself. They were completely different from back then in the past. Hopefully things can stay peaceful despite everything going on.

The Akamichi finally speaks up,"You know, Naruto, you're the only one still a Genin here."

"What!? That can't be true!"

Sasuke nods and says,"Well it's true. All of the girls are Chunin along with Shino and Choji. Kiba, Shikamaru, and I have been promoted to Jounin, Kiba the most recent when he stopped Kumo nin on an escort mission from attacking the Priestess from the Land of Demons singlehandedly."

Naruto looks at Kiba and the Inuzuka shrugs and says,"It wasn't that bad but it left some nasty bruises. I'm glad the girl was okay."

Hinata calls out,"Dinner's ready!"

Everyone gathers around for a simple stew with a piece of bread and water to go around. Akamaru is given a piece of bread along with some food pills. The rest of the people eat and talk as they please except for Shikamaru.

The Nara remains quiet and sits slightly behind the group to observe the shinobi. His mind was always moving, not to mention there was that other voice speaking up...

Shino switches with Naruto and Kiba for second watch as everyone starts to lay down for bed. Shikamaru slips away and leans against a tree. He didn't feel like he needed to sleep, not with that voice threatening to kill and take over his body. He wouldn't leave his friends open for his own sake of getting some sleep. Instead he'll watch the clouds in the sky.

Ino notices the Nara missing and quietly gets up from her spot near Sakura. She finds him sitting on the ground under a tree observing the sky.

The Yamanaka calls out,"Shikamaru, why aren't you sleeping?"

Shikamaru says,"I don't feel like it."

"You need to rest up and get your strength back in your condition." Ino reprimands the young man.

"Just go back to the others Ino."

Ino is taken aback by this. Shikamaru doesn't act so antisocial or like such a loner. She could understand this from Sasuke but...

The Yamanaka shakes her head and says,"Not if you're not coming back with me."

The voice roars in Shikamaru's head as he fights to keep a monotone-like voice as he says,"Stay a-away."

"Shikamaru-"

"STAY BACK!" The Nara shouts while the shadows around him start to raise off the ground in wavering patterns.

Ino jumps back in surprise as she watches her teammate clutch his head. His eyes for a split second were yellow, not normal at all.

She reaches out a hand as she says,"Shikamaru..."

He shakes his head and says,"J-Just stay away. I need to rest here."

"We're here for you Shikamaru." Those are the last words Ino says before heading back to the campsite.

Shikamaru brings his knees to his chest and rests his head there. He needed to gain control of this situation...and fast.

The rest of the night goes by uneventful. Everyone is up at the crack of dawn with camp already put away. They know how urgent it is to reach Suna and the amount of time it will take to get there.

Kiba stretches his arms as he says,"So it will take about four hours from this point, a little less if we cut our breaks as short as possible."

Sasuke nods and says,"Sounds good to me. Any objections to that?"

Not a word is heard other than the wind.

Choji looks at Shikamaru and says,"Do you need my help?"

The Nara shakes his head as he says,"I'm fine right now."

"If you need my help-"

"I'll ask don't worry, I know my own strengths and weaknesses." Shikamaru says with a small smile.

Ino speaks up,"Let's get going."

Squad Eight resumes point with Squad Ten and Squad Seven in pursuit. The scenery changes slowly from dense forest to clearings of grassy plains to sand. Shikamaru feels a sense of relief with reaching the sand.

As the group nears the village, Shikamaru says,"Hold up."

Sakura tilts her head to the side and says,"Something wrong?"

"We need to send a party on ahead so we don't alarm the village with thoughts of us being attackers."

Hinata nods and says,"That would be smart to do. We wouldn't want to seem threatening with nine people with large chakra signatures."

Shikamaru says,"Squad Eight should keep on moving."

Kiba smiles as Akamaru lets out a bark and says,"Alrighty then. Come on Shino, Hinata!"

Squad Eight heads off to Suna's walls and soon become nothing more than specks on the horizon.

The six remaining shinobi wait out in the shade of a nearby sand dune in order to avoid heat exhaustion. Soon an hour passes and a certain knucklehead is getting bored.

Naruto let's out a sigh as he falls to the ground. He groans and says,"What's taking them so long?"

Ino rolls her eyes as she says,"You can't rush them. They had to go to the village, convince them we're not threats, and come back."

"That takes like thirty minutes right?"

Sakura and Ino both face palm as Sasuke whispers under his breath,"You're an idiot."

"Hey guys! I didn't think you'd get this bored without us!" A voice calls out.

Naruto uses one hand to shade his eyes so he can see who is talking. It's Kiba, Hinata, and Shino! With them is...isn't that-

"Gaara!"

In the flesh was the red haired Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village.

Naruto rushes up the sand dune and says,"Gaara! It's been ages since we met in the Chunin Exams."

Gaara slowly nods and says,"It has been quite a while Naruto."

"I took the liberty of telling Gaara all about our predicament with the Tailed Beasts and such." Kiba says with his hands on his hips.

Sasuke says,"So, Gaara, are you willing to help?"

Now Gaara and Sasuke aren't on the best of terms. Their Chunin Exam match was interrupted with Orochimaru and the Sand attacking the village then they met up in the forest to fight again. Gaara was losing control and Sasuke had to worry about his Curse Mark. Luckily, Kakashi was able to successfully seal the mark away for good after Naruto smacked some sense into Gaara.

The young Kazekage says,"I am willing to lend my resources to you all. Come along back to the Kage mansion."

Everyone nods in agreement and follow Gaara back to Suna. Once they get their they immediately head to the middle of the town. Gaara goes down a flight of stairs and down a hallway.

The Kazekage gestures to the doors behind him and says,"Help yourself to the Kazekage library."

He opens the doors to reveal row after row of books ranging from new covers to papers with covers that are decaying. Ino and Sakura immediately dive into the books while the boys slowly disperse.

Gaara speaks up again,"Which one of you harbors the Demon of the Sand?"

Shikamaru lazily raises a hand and says,"I think that would be me. Sand makes this thing inside me get all wound up."

"I'll be back shortly with something to help, Shikamaru."

The Nara nods before joining Choji on a row of books hardly bound together at all.

Each of the squads look around the library finding nothing of interest or on their situation.

Shino raises a book in the air and says,"I believe this might-"

Kiba grabs the book, reads the cover, and says,"This is what we need!"

Sakura walks over to the boys and glances over the book. It's called: "Power of Human Sacrifices."

A knock sounds at the door before three people enter the room. It appears to be the three sand siblings themselves: Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara.

Temari carries a small gourd filled with some sand that can be worn around the waist and walks to the Nara boy.

She holds out the gourd as she says,"This should help carry sand around in a more convenient way for a lazy guy like yourself."

Shikamaru takes the object as he says,"Troublesome woman."

Those two had quite the interesting history with Shikamaru literally quitting his fight in the Chunin Exams with Temari because he was too lazy to fight.

"Hurry up Deidara. I hate making people wait."

"This place is quite artful, a pity we have to blow it to bits."

"Just get this over with. I'll be waiting out here unless you have changed your mind on wanting me to help."

"I have a whole pouch of clay. This is plenty to take on the One-Tails."

"If you say so."

XXXXXXXXX

Who are those mysterious voices? I wonder...anyone care to guess in the reviews?

Sorry this chapter took so long! I promise to update sooner next time!

Oh and the Akatsuki know the One-Tails is in Suna based on one monitoring chakra and the fact sand is where Shukaku would lead his host first. Sorry if that wasn't obvious.

Okay then! This wraps up Chapter Five! Please REVIEW! I want to know opinions on how this is flowing.

Chapter 6 Preview:

"What was that?"

"I won't let anyone hurt my friends or this village."

"Come on out One-Tails! I just want to play!"

"True art is an explosion!"

"Shikamaru!"

Chapter 6: The Art of Laziness

See you soon! Fav, Follow, and Review!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Art of Laziness

Still down in the Kazekage library, the Konoha Nine look through various books while Shikamaru and Gaara are in a deep conversation. The two were talking about sand techniques and how much Gaara knew about this "Demon of the Sand."

Sakura holds up the book in her hands and says,"I think we should all look over this. It pertains to our situation I believe."

Everyone walks over as Naruto says,"What's it called?"

"Jinchuhriki: Power of Human Sacrifices."

The Konoha Nine all clutch their heads in pure agony. A flash of light and a scene plays before them.

A large beast brown in color roars into the coming night. It has a single large red eye that contrasts the blue of the sky. It raises a limb before smashing it into the ground causing the Earth to crumble beneath it. Another roar pierces the air as the scene changes to a war torn field with a bloodied flag with the kanji for ninja on it. Not a shinobi seen on the field moves. All appear dead as one last roar comes through the air bringing the Konoha Nine back to the present.

Temari glances at the Leaf ninja as she says,"What happened to you guys?"

Kiba shrugs and says,"I have no idea. I saw a beast on a war front."

"No way! I saw that too!" Naruto says with a gasp.

Shikamaru looks over each of his friends before continuing,"I believe we all had the same vision, correct?"

Slowly everyone nods before he goes on,"I think we just saw our fate."

Sasuke puts up a hand as he says,"So one of us turns into that thing and destroys the world?"

"It appears to be that way from what we saw. Maybe we can't change it."

Choji says,"What if we don't want that to happen? I don't want to hurt my friends."

Kiba speaks up,"But what if by trying to prevent it that just makes sure it happens."

It goes silent for a moment until Ino says,"Stop using that brain of yours, idiot."

"Hey I'm just trying to help!"

Naruto says,"Who's to say we can't change fate?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes as Sakura says,"Weren't you listening to our discussion just now?"

The blonde shrugs and says,"If you don't like your destiny, change it. Grab it with your two hands and believe in a better future! We can do whatever we put our minds to! Believe it!"

It goes silent for a good minute as everyone stares at the boy. For once he said something somewhat intelligible.

Sasuke says,"I think that was the smartest thing I have ever heard him say."

Kankuro scratches his head as he says,"I have no idea what's going on..."

Temari smacks him and goes,"Just don't worry your walnut sized brain about it. As long as they know what they're doing that's all that matters."

Sakura holds the book out to Gaara as she says,"You mind if we keep this?"

The Kazekage shakes his head and says,"If you believe it will help avert this fate you saw then take it. I have no use for it."

"Thanks for the help Gaara." Hinata speaks up from behind Naruto.

Then the whole room shakes and a distinct boom is heard overhead. Once the tremors settle somewhat, the room descends into a bit of chaos.

Ino says,"What was that?"

Temari puts one hand on her fan as she says,"It sounded like an explosion. Let's go check it out."

The Sand Siblings lead the way back up the stairs and through the Kage mansion. Once they get outside dust billows up as another explosion is heard.

Gaara points to a distinct large white bird that is seen flying around in circles as he says,"There's the infiltrator."

A voice can be heard calling out,"Where are you little beasts? Come on out!"

Another explosions resonates through the village and the screams of citizens can be heard.

Shikamaru says,"Whoever that is wants us."

Naruto pounds his fists together as he says,"Then let's bring the fight to him!"

The voice calls out from above,"I know you're here! Send the One-Tails out to stop my siege!"

Gaara shakes his head and says,"I want you all to help evacuate citizens to the nearest shelters. Temari, Kankuro, get the guard together and organize an air assault. I'll take-"

"I take on the guy." A lazy voice drawls out.

Everyone turns to look at Shikamaru the owner of the voice.

The Kazekage says,"It's my duty to protect my village. You needn't put your life in danger."

The Nara continues,"I won't let anyone hurt my friends or this village. Besides, I'm the one he wants."

Temari puts a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder as she says,"Make it out alive, crybaby."

"Sheesh, troublesome woman. All of you get going."

The Konoha Nine reluctantly leave along with Temari and Kankuro. Gaara remains as he says to the Nara,"Remember what I told you about the Shibi. You must control your rage and not succumb to your emotions. The sand in the gourd came from the Shibi so it will respond and protect you."

Shikamaru nods and says,"I'll do my best. If I don't make it-"

"You will. You have to survive to guide your friends." Gaara says.

"Oi, all you sand shinobi are troublesome."

Gaara puts a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder as he says,"Good luck." Before he leaves to help organize an air strike while protecting the civilians.

Shikamaru takes a deep breath before jumping to the rooftops underneath the white bird. The man riding the bird takes notice of the shinobi directly challenging him and lands on the roof.

The Nara analyzes the man before him. Black cloak with red clouds immediately points to the Akatsuki organization that's been active recently. The man has blonde hair pulled into a ponytail with bangs hiding his left eye and has a brown bag on his waist. The white bird lands behind him and remains still.

The man says,"My infiltration was successful but can I escape too, hmm?"

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow as he says,"I wouldn't count on making it out." His shadow slowly begins to elongate as it stretches towards the Akatsuki.

"Someone's confident. But-" The blonde jumps back from the shadow and onto his clay bird as he says,"I'm not one to be underestimated!"

He takes off into the air as Shikamaru takes a deep breath. He needs to control his emotions in order to do this properly. His mind reels back to the Chunin Exams as he recalls Gaara's movements when using his sand.

The genius puts out a hand as sand comes rushing out of the gourd on his waist. He tentatively steps on it and finds that it supports his weight. 'Here goes nothing,' the boy thinks to himself.

He puts out a hand and he goes shooting off into the sky after the blonde man, the sand propelling him into the air.

Deidara turns to find the Jinchuuriki in hot pursuit. He puts his hands in the bags on his waist and pulls out two small clay birds.

Under the blonde's breath he says,"Let's test the little beastie, hmm?"

Shikamaru recognized two white projectiles coming at him. He quickly swipes his hand to form a shield in front of himself. Luckily he could use the sand so well, it felt like an extension of his body...natural.

Deidara silently curses under his breath and pulls out four more clay creatures shaped somewhat like dragonflies.

"Can you handle this?! These will be faster!"

Shikamaru continues forward on his sand as he sees a blur of white. Another round of assault? He quickly puts another shield of sand in front when he sees something come from behind.

He slowly turns his head to find two clay creatures buzzing by as they explode.

Temari was watching from the rooftops below and shouts,"Shikamaru!"

The Nara was panting heavily and he tentatively reaches a hand for his forehead. A small trickle of blood comes down from his temple on his forehead. He managed to encase himself in a large bubble of sand at the last second. That was no easy trick to pull off so suddenly.

Deidara turns his bird around to find the Jinchuuriki encased in sand. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Come on One-Tails! I just want to play!"

Then out of the shadow of the clay bird comes rushing sand in an attempt to crush the Akatsuki man.

Deidara curses and attempts to fly out of the sand as it spikes up to enclose him. He manages to avoid major damage when he feels the grain on his left arm.

The blonde sees that some of the shell covering Shikamaru has gone just enough to see his face and his hand closing to that of a fist.

Shikamaru says,"Look underneath the underneath. Sand Coffin!"

His arm is squeezed tightly until it is ripped off. The Akatsuki grunts in pain as he fights to regain balance on his bird. Blood flows down what remains of Deidara's arm and on the sand that retracts back to Shikamaru.

Deidara sighs and says,"You're not half bad after all. But it's time I kicked things up a notch."

Shikamaru narrows his eyes and focuses on the enemy. This guy just wasn't going to go down easily. What a drag.

Deidara examines his clay bags and sees he only has enough for his final debut, his greatest art. He shapes it carefully into the shape of a humanoid face with arms crossing over it.

The blonde smiles as he shouts,"Can you protect yourself and the people! Watch as my greatest art destroys this place."

Deidara drops the clay as it triples in size. Shikamaru's eyes go wide as he notices the deliberate target change from himself to the people of Suna. He couldn't let innocent people get hurt.

The Akatsuki man smiles as he shouts,"True art is an explosion!"

XXXXXXX

Wow talk about intense cliffhanger ending. So is Shikamaru going to get out of this alive? Find out next time!

Fav, Follow, and Review please! It inspires me to write more!

Chapter 7 Preview:

"That must have taken a lot out of you."

"Never underestimate your opponent."

"This would be the best time for me to skip out, hmm?"

"Shikamaru!"

"I hate making people wait. I guess I'll have to make sure to get it right this time."

Chapter 7: Behind The Mask Is...?!


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